UCSB Institutional Biosafety Committee

What is the Institutional Biosafety Committee?

An Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is required at any institution that conducts research involving recombinant DNA or moderate risk human pathogens. The requirement stems from the National Institutes of Health, and must be met in order to receive NIH research funding. The UCSB IBC is composed of UCSB researchers knowledgeable in pertinent research topics, a human health specialist, an animal specialist, and a plant specialist. The IBC must have at least two members who are unaffiliated with the University. The institution must also have a campus biosafety officer to ensure compliance with IBC requirements.

The IBC will consider research requests from UCSB principal investigators, or researchers from other institutions who wish to perform work at a UCSB facility. Approved biosafety authorizations are effective for 3 years from the date of approval. The biosafety officer will perform periodic lab surveys to ensure conformity with the terms of the authorization.

To download the UCSB request form, please visit:
http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/units/biosafety/biorsc/biorequestforms.htm

The biosafety officer works with researchers to determine who will need to obtain an authorization. The first step is to determine the risk level of the work to be performed. The risk assessment begins with the infectious nature of the organism to be used. True risk to researchers and the public is then determined by evaluating how the material will be manipulated in the lab or in the field. Once the biosafety officer establishes the risk level, the IBC will consider the safety controls proposed by the researcher.

The following sites may serve as a starting point in determining risk for known pathogens:
http://www.absa.org/XriskgroupsX/index.html
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/msds-ftss/index.html#menu?
For microorganisms obtained from commercial sources, the vendor may provide an opinion of an appropriate risk level.

How soon can I begin work?

After submittal of a completed request form to the campus biosafety officer (BSO), they will perform an initial evaluation of the proposal. This may take a week to complete. If the request needs significant changes in terms of risk assessment or biosafety controls, they will contact the PI for needed changes. If the request meets most accepted criteria, the BSO will forward the form to the IBC for consideration. The IBC meets quarterly. If an expedited review is needed, contact the BSO for assistance (893-8894).

What if I need to work with a high risk pathogen?

If a risk assessment for your research indicates that biosafety level 3 is appropriate, the work can only take place in a BSL-3 compliant laboratory. BSL-3 lab availability is extremely scarce on the UCSB campus. Additionally, if the organism of interest appears on the following list:

http://www.cdc.gov/od/sap/, your research will be subject to the requirements of the Select Agent Rule under 42 CFR, Part 73. Research with these organisms includes requirements for an FBI security risk assessment for individual researchers as well as independent approval by the Centers for Disease Control or US Department of Agriculture, and will take at least 4 months for the approval process.

Any work involving a risk level of biosafety level 4 is prohibited at UCSB.

Exemptions

If the BSO determines that the proposed work poses no risk to humans or the environment (BSL-1 or Risk Group 1), your work will be registered, but is not subject to an approval by the IBC. If the nature of your work changes after your exemption, resulting in increased risk, you must contact the BSO to determine if there are new requirements.